To Live And Thrive In L.a.

"What? It's only the second inning!"

"Never wait in the postseason," Zimmer told him.

Torre went to his bullpen in the third inning. His Yankees came back to win 6--4, and Zimmer's call for urgency became a hallmark of Torre's throat-stomping October style. "That," Torre says, "is where it began."

On Saturday night, with the music cranked again in the Dodgers' clubhouse, 216 bottles of champagne and 36 cases of beer were consumed, sprayed or spilled, this time just one day after purchase. It was the 33rd champagne celebration in 14 years for Torre, who was doused by Kemp, as good a symbol as any of the Dodgers' growing assuredness, their collective appetite for, in the words of Colletti, "the big moment." In 2008 Torre sat Kemp against tough righthanders such as '07 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy. This year Torre started Kemp on Opening Day against the then Padres ace, and Kemp hit a home run. It was Kemp who began the Dodgers' scoring in the NLDS by mashing a first-pitch homer off Carpenter.

"He doesn't know," Torre says, "who he's not supposed to hit."

"I told everyone at the beginning of the year to expect something special from this team," Kemp says. "Why? It's more together. We're having more fun."

All around him there was only bliss.